Arte vs. Guerra - Banksy e C215 a Borodyanka, Ucraina
Concorso italiano – New talent opera prima
Brief Synopsis:
When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the town of Borodyanka, 50 kilometres from Kiev, suffered almost total destruction. In the midst of this bleak scenario, the famous French street artist C215 and the enigmatic Banksy bring a message of hope through their works. C215, with his spray cans, paints Russian tanks and birds on the damaged walls and portraits of emblematic figures from Ukrainian history, such as the fallen young man Dmytro Kotsiubaylo and an elderly couple who died in the bombing. Banksy, with his light and poetic stroke, depicts a gymnast performing a vault over the rubble and a child knocking down a giant, symbolising the struggle of David against Goliath.
Featuring the voice narration of Alessandro Sperduti, the documentary weaves together the testimonies of those who lived through the conflict: friends and relatives of the victims, survivors and young Italian conservator-restorers from the REA, engaged in the preservation of works of art. Through these testimonials, art emerges as a means of rebirth, offering relief and hope in a context of extreme hardship. ‘Art vs. War’ not only documents the destruction in Ukraine, but it celebrates human resilience and the ability to find light even in the darkest moments.
Director’s Notes:
The documentary follows the restorers in the long and demanding process of protecting the works by Banksy and C215 in Borodianka, Ukraine. As soon as we arrived, we realized the urgent need and deep desire of the community to regain a normal life. This awareness pushed us to combine the stories of ordinary people, a source of inspiration for internationally renowned artists, with their works, to tell a story that goes beyond the works of art themselves, but which embraces the human essence and the search for hope and rebirth.